Allowed
Note: PharmaLink has compiled the information below for reference only. State dispensing regulations change frequently and we recommend consulting an attorney or your state medical or pharmacy board with specific questions or to verify your eligibility to dispense.
Pennsylvania is a straightforward state for in-office dispensing. There is no separate dispensing permit, registration, or fee. The authority is part of the provider’s medical license itself.
Authority to dispense
Physicians may dispense in Pennsylvania under their state medical license to patients under their care. No additional application to the Board is required before beginning. What the state does require is that a dispensing physician meet the same substantive standards a pharmacy would, which includes appropriate drug storage, accurate labeling, secure handling, and complete records of what was dispensed to whom. PharmaLink’s system builds those records as you dispense, so they exist from day one instead of being assembled after the fact.
Delegating to physician assistants
Under 49 Pa. Code § 18.158, a supervising physician may delegate the prescribing, dispensing, and administering of drugs to a physician assistant. The delegation must be consistent with the PA’s written agreement and with the PA’s training and experience. The supervising physician retains responsibility for the delegated act.
Controlled substances
Physicians dispensing controlled substances need a federal DEA registration for the location, and must observe the recordkeeping, inventory, and security obligations that attach to it. Practices commonly limit an initial dispensary to non-controlled legend drugs precisely to avoid that overhead, then add controls later.
PDMP reporting
All dispensed prescriptions for Schedule II through V controlled substances must be reported to the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program no later than the close of the subsequent business day. For this purpose a business day is a day within the standard Monday-to-Friday week, so a Friday dispense is reportable by close of business Monday.
Reporting is an obligation of the dispenser, which means a dispensing physician carries it directly rather than inheriting it from a pharmacy partner.
PharmaLink’s system is designed to handle the reporting obligations for you, so all you need to do is enter the dispenses into the system and it will prompt you for all required information and file the reports on time, every time.
Labeling and records
Pennsylvania expects a dispensing physician to keep records that would satisfy a pharmacy inspection, which includes what was received, what was dispensed, to which patient, and when. Each container dispensed to a patient must be labeled so the drug, the prescriber, the patient, and the directions are all identifiable from the label itself. Because there is no registration step that would prompt a review, the burden of getting storage and labeling right before the first dispense sits entirely with the practice.
PharmaLink’s system keeps detailed records for you, making logging and recordkeeping easy. Just add all of your inventory in the system, enter all dispenses, administers, disposals, and expirations. You can also regularly conduct reconciliations to identify any issues with your inventory.
Dispensing in Pennsylvania with PharmaLink
Dispensing medications to your patients offers meaningful benefits: additional practice revenue, better medication adherence, greater convenience for patients, and fewer pharmacy callbacks for your staff. PharmaLink provides the dispensing software, equipment, and support — so most practices can start dispensing within days of completing their application. PharmaLink does not sell, source, or ship medications; your practice purchases those directly from suppliers you select, under your own licenses.
- Cash & carry dispensing — patients pay at the point of care with transparent pricing.
- Workers' comp dispensing — treat injured workers, with claim data captured for your billing partner.
- Private insurance dispensing — adjudicate claims to your patients' insurance plans.
- Mail order & home delivery — send prescriptions to a fulfillment pharmacy that ships directly to your patients.
If you plan to dispense controlled substances, PharmaLink's software automatically reports to state PDMPs in all states where we operate.